Car door



Feb. 11, 1947. i F. DITCHFIELD CAR DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 11. 1942 Feb. 11, 1947. F. DITCHFIELD CAR DOOR Filed Nov. 11, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 can noon Frank Dltchfield, Cleveland, Ohio, assigndr to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 11, 1942, Serial No. assess 7 Claims. (Cl. 20-22) This invention relates to car doors.

It is an object of this invention to provide sliding car doors of the lift type which shall be supported at the bottom when at rest and at the top when being moved.

A further object of the invention is to provide sliding car doors of the lift type which shall embody a vertical outwardly offset portion for housing and concealing the operating bar of a lift mechanism secured to the upper margin of the doors.

It is a further object to provide sliding car doors of the lift type wherein the lift mechanism. em-

bodies an operating lever f-wl1ich shall also "be adapted to serve as a lever-"for imparting initial opening and final closing movements to the doors.

It is a further object toiprovide fheaders for sliding doors of railway house'cars which shall serve as a track for the doors 2 a a'rein'forcement for the door openingsxformed in the cars.

It is a further object to provide-headers for sliding doors of railway house cars which'jshall secure improved weather-tightness at the upper front corner of the doors.

It is a further object to. provide a construction for the lower portions of sliding car doors which shall eliminate direct and reflected light and prevent snow, rain, dust, cinders, and the like from being forced upwardly into the car through the door openings.

It is a further object toprovide a construction for sliding car doors which shall prevent rain, snow, dust, cinders, and the like from blowing into the car between the track and the door.

Other objects of the invention will become.

clear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming. part of this specification:

Fig. l is an elevation of a portion of a, railway house car equipped with a door embodying the instant invention, parts being broken away to more clearly illustrate the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. 1

Fig. 4 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 3 showing the door in elevated position.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-45 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6'-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on line I"l of'Flg. l.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Fi 9 is a vertical section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section taken on line ld-flt of Fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section taken on line i I--ll of Fig. 1,, portions of the door being broken away to more clearly show the threshold plate.

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of .the invention is illustrated, numeral i0 designates a conventional z-shaped side plate, the upstanding flange of which is broken away, 'as more clearly'appears in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The side plate includes 9. depending flange H to which the upper ends of the door posts l2 and B3 are fastened in any desired manher. At their lower ends the door posts are se-- cured tothe upstanding flange It of an angle sidesill 65. A plurality of brackets l? are secured to the side sill reinforcing angle l5 and support a track It which is fastened thereto as by means of rivets I9. Wooden flooring 20 is supported on the horizontal flange of the'side sill and is protected by means of a metallic threshold plate 2| hereinafter more particularly described.

A substantially J-shaped header 22 is carried by the depending flange l I of the side plate. The header 22 embodies a vertical attaching-flange 23 from the lowerend of which a horizontal flange 2d projects outwardly. Th flange it is turned upwardly to provide a flang 25. The .l-shaped header by virtue of applicant's invention is extended sufficiently beyond the door posts and secured to the depending flange of the side plate and to the door posts so as to serve as a reinforcement for the car across the door opening and asa track for door lift mechanism hereinhereinafter explained The door opening defined by the side plate, the door posts and the floor ofthe car is controlled by means of a door 26. -This door embodies a metallic panel 21 formed with a plurality of h n. zontal corrugations 28. Adjacent the front and rear vertical edges the metallic panel is oflset outwardly from the main plane thereof as indicated at 29 and 3t and the horizontal corrugations 2-6 at their ends merge into the offset portions of the panel. Beyond the oifset portions 29 The front vertical margin of the panel is reinforced by means of a relatively sturdy member 33. The reinforcing member 33 is formed with a flange 34 which overlies and is secured to the flange 3! of the panel. The reinforcing member 33 also embodies a web 35 extending inwardly from the flange 34, a forwardly extending flange 36 disposed substantially in the main plane of the paneland an outwardly extending flange 31 at right angles to the flange 36 and lying at the forward edge of the door. A backingplate 38 disposed in substantially the main plane of the panel is secured thereto along onemargin and to the flange 36- of the reinforcing member 33 along the other margin, thereby providing a substantially box section adjacent to the forward edge of the door. The rear vertical margin of the metallic panel 21 is reinforced by means of a member 39 provided with a flange 40 overlapping and secured to the flange 32 of the panel. From the flange 40 the reinforcing member 39 extends inwardly in the form of a web 4| flanged outwardly as indicated at 42 so as to lie substantially in the main plane of the panel. The flange 42 is flanged inwardly as indicated at 43. A reinforcing backing plate 44 is secured along one margin to the panel 21 and along the other margin to the flange 42 so as to provide a substantially box section adjacent to the rear edge of the door.

The upper margin of the metallic panel 21 is offset similar to the vertical margin of the panel as indicated at 45. The offset portion 45 is ex- .tended vertically upwardly in the form offlange 46 parallel to and spaced from the main plane of the door. The upper margin of the panel is reinforced by means of a member 41 which is substantially W-shaped in section. The reinforcing member 41 embodies a depending flange 48 overlapping and secured to the upstanding flange 46 of the panel, an inwardly extending'web 49, an upstanding flange 50, and an inwardly directed flange 5|. A reinforcing backing plate 52 is secured to the panel 21 substantially in the main plane thereof and to the flange 50 of the reinforcing member 41 and cooperates therewith and with the offset portion and upstanding flange 46 of the panel to form substantially-a box-section.

It will be observed from Fig. l of the drawingsthat the vertical backing plates 38 and 44 and the upper horizontal backing plate 52 terminate short of the upper corners of the door. The reason for this will hereinafter appear.

The lower margin of the door is formed wit a flange 53 immediately below the lowermost horizontal corrugation 23. This corrugation is spanned by means of a reinforcing backing plate 54 secured along the upper margin substantially in the main plane of'the panel. The flange 53 of the panel and the lowermost marginal portion of the backing plate are secured as by means of rivets55 to one flange 56 of a T-shapeq reinforcing member 51, the flange 56, as more clearly appears in Fig. 3, being disposed between the flange 53 of the panel and the backing plate. The T-shaped reinforcing member 51 also embodies a flange 58 which lies behind the track l8 and an outwardly extending stem 59 which is adapted to seat upon and frictionally support the door 26 when it is not being moved. in opening or, closing direction. As more clearly appears in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the lower end of the panel reinforcing member 33 is flattened, as indicated at 60, so that it can be shaped to the contour of the underside of the lowermost corrugation 28 and the flange 53 of the panel. A similar construction is employed for the lower portion of the rear vertical reinforcing member 39, as indicated at 6|.

As indicated above, the door is frictionally supported upon the lower track I8 when it is at rest. Lift mechanism is provided for the purpose of elevating the door above the track l3 and supporting it upon anti-friction means to permit movement of the door in opening and closing directions. This mechanism is secured to the upper portion of the door and embodiesa metallic plate member 62 secured to the upper front corner of the door between the vertical and horizontal backing plates 38 and 52. The plate member 62 thereby serves in effect as a continuation of these backing plates and by its securement to the metallic panel substantially in the main plane thereof and to the flange 36 of the vertical reinforcing. member 33 and the flange 50 of the horizontal reinforcing member 44 provides extensions of the horizontal and vertical box sections hereinabove -described. A substantially channel shaped housing member 63 is secured to the inner face of the plate member 62. The channel member 63 is formed with a web 64 spaced inwardly from the plate member 62, le s 65 and 66 directed toward the plate member and attaching flanges 61 and 68 by means ofwhich the channel shaped housing member 63 is fastened to the plate member 62. A roller retainer 63 is disposed within the channel shaped housing member 63 and is formed with inner and outer trunnions 10 and 1| journalle'd respectively in the web 64 of' the housing member .63 and in the plate member 62. The retainer 63 carries a roller 12 .the axis of rotation of which is offset from the axis of the trunnions, as more clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The roller retainer 69 is formed with an inwardly extending lug 13 for a reason which will hereinafter appear.

A'similar constructionis provided at the upper rear corner of the door and it is believed that the description of the construction at the upper front corner of the door will sufllce for the construction at the upper rear corner of the door. 6

the trunnion 1! at the upper front corner of the vertical box section adjacent the front edge of the door so as to be housed and concealed thereby. The lower end of the actuating bar 18 is pivotally connected to a link 19 by means of a pin 80 extending through the forks of the link.

The link 19 is fixedly secured to a shaft 3|, the

inner end of which is journalled within a bearto the door.

ing plate 82 secured to the panel substantially within the main plane thereof andto the flange 88 of the front vertical reinforcing member 88. An intermediate portion of the shaft 8| is fournalled in a substantially Z-shaped bearing plate 83, one flange 84 of which is secured between an ofiset portion 85 of the metallic panel and the bearing plate 82 as more clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The web 88 of the bearing plate extends outwardly and the flange 81 thereof extends forwardly in abutting relationship with the flange 3| of the panel and provides the bearing for theintermediate portion of the shaft 8|. This shaft projects outwardly beyond the outer face of the door and an operating lever 88 is fastened to the outwardly projecting portion. It will be apparent in view of the foregoing description that the lever is the only part of the lift mechanism which is visible from the outside of the door.

It will be clear from the foregoing that when at rest the weight of the door is carried by the the closing arm a thrust lower track i8 thereby relieving the upper track 22. The latter supports the weight of the door only when it is being moved. To secure movement of the door upon the rollers I2 the operating lever 88 is swung counterclockwise. The link 19 to which the lever is fastened thereupon exerts a downward force upon the actuating bar 18 which in turn exerts a similar force upon the upper link 16. Since this link is fixed upon the outer trunnion of the rollerretainer 89, rotation is imparted to said retainer which by the agency of the connecting bar 1% is transmitted to the roller retainer at the upper rear corner of the door. This rotation of the roller retainer forces the rollers against the track 22 and theresulting reaction through the trunnions of the roller retainers exerts an upward force upon the door so as to raise it above the lower track i8 and support it for movement upon the rollers I2. When the lever is released the door will automatically gravitate to its lowermost position at which time the weight of the door will be transferred from the upper track to the lower track l8.

In the lowering movement of the door the lever swings in clockwise direction. The motion of the operating lever-of the lift mechanism is utilized to impart opening and closing movements To this end an arm 89 is pivotally secured to the car adjacent to the forward edge of the door opening by means of a bracket 98 fastened to the car. and the closing arm swing in a plane parallel to the car. The arm 88 is provided with a'recess 9! adapted to receive 2. lug 92 formed on the upper end of the operating lever 88. When the Both the operating leverdoor which will force the door to its closed .position. It will be evidentthat until the operating lever assumes the position illustrated in Fig.

1 the door will be supported upon the rollers so that the force exerted upon the door to close it will be effective in the main'when the door is still supported upon the rollers. The force required to close the door will, therefore, be reduced. v I

With reference to Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings, itwill be observed that the inwardly extending flange 8! of the door reinforcing mem-' ber 41 lies vertically above the header-track member 22 so as to cooperate therewith in the securement of a weathertight door. In Fig. 6 of the drawings a conventional stop 88 is illustrated. This stop embodies a substantially channel shaped portion 88, which receives the front .vertical portion of the door when it is closed. A flange 96 extends inwardly from the channel shaped portion 88 and terminates in an attaching flange 98 which is disposed parallel to andis secured to the front door post if. Prior to applicant's invention the front door stop 83 continued upwardly to the door retaining bar 81, which, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, is Z-shaped in section and secured to the depending flange Ii of the side plate i8.

Referringto Figs. 2, 4, and 6 of the drawings,

. it will be apparent that the header in the prior constructions could not extend forwardly beyond the flange 85 of the front stop and it is "customary to terminate the header at this point.

Moreover, in the prior constructions in order to permit the door to assume its fully closed position, it is necessary to cope the inwardly extending flange of the top door reinforcing members adjacent to the front vertical edges of the doors so that these flanges would not strike against the inwardly extending flange 95 of the front stop and prevent the doors from being fully closed. This coping of the inwardly extending flanges of the door reinforcing members, however, provides a substantially direct opening between the upper front corner of the door and the front stop, permitting dust, cinders, rain, snow and the like to readily find their way into the car through the door opening.

The instant invention eliminates this opening and substantially improves the weathertightness of the upper front corner of the door. As more clearly disclosed in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 8 of the drawings, the front door stop 83 is terminated below and adjacent to the header-track 22. The header-track 22, consequently, is extended forwardly beyond the door stop and the flange 5! door is in closed and lowered position and it is I be supported upon the rollers prior to the en-- gagement between the lug and the recess. Opening thrust upon the door is thereby insured when the door is on the rollers.

The operating lever swings in clockwise direction during lowering movement of the door. When thelever is operated clockwise and the lug 92 is in engagement with the recess 9! of of the door reinforcing member 81 is permitted to extend continuously substantially to the front vertical edge of the door, To close the opening above the header provided by this construction a plate member 98 is utilized. This member is shown more clearly in Fig. 8 of the drawing and embodies an outwardly and rearwardly directed flange 88 which is similar to and disposed upon a corresponding flange of the channel portion 98 of the front stop. Th plate member 88 is also provided with an inwardly extending flange I which is disposed. upon'a corresponding flange of the channel shaped portion 94 of the front stop and extends inwardly to the attaching flange of the header-track to which it is secured as by means of welding. The inwardly extending flange we is coped, as more clearly shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, to clear the upstanding flange is exerted upon the shaped housing members 03.

- struction that the inwardly extendingflange I serves as an abutment flange for the door above the door-stop $3 and that the inwardly extending flange SI of the door reinforcing member 41 extends continuously to flange I00 which it is adapted to abut when the door is closed. It is apparent, therefore, that the opening provided by the cope of the inwardly extending flange hereinabove described is eliminated and that a materially improved weathertight construction is afforded for the upper comer of the door.

Additional weather protection for the upper portion of the door is provided by the instant invention. .This takes the form of a Z-shaped member fastened to the door between the front and rear channel shaped housing members of the lift mechanism. This Z-shaped member I02 is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 9 of the drawings and embodies an upstanding attaching flange I03, an inwardly extending web I04 which extends across the upstanding flange of the header-track member 22 and a depending flange I05 which extends downwardly behind flange 25 of the header-track. The attaching flange I03 and the web I 04 are coped at the ends of the Z-shaped member, as indicated at I06, to clear the adjacentattaching flanges of the channel The Z-shaped member I02 accordingly cooperates with the upstanding flange 25 of the header-track 22 to prevent any matter which may lodge in the trough of the header-trackfrom being blown over the flange 25 and into the car through the door opening.

The weathertightness of the upper portion of the door is further enhanced by means of a baffle plate I01 which is secured to the rear channel shaped housing member 63 as by means of welding and which extends upwardly therefrom to the inwardly extending flange SI of the door reinforcing member The bafile plate I0! is pref-- lower margin of the door and the association thereof with the bottom supporting track I8 effectively prevents foreign matter from being blown into the car from the outside of the door. The dependingflange 58 of the T-shaped reinforcing member 51 is also utilized in cooperation with the threshold plat 2I to further preclude entry of foreign matter into the car and to prevent the entry of direct and reflected light. As clearly appears in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the threshold plate lies flatwise upon the floor 20 of the car and is conventionally fastened thereto and to the side sill and side sill reinforcement by bolts (not shown). The threshold plate projects outwardly beyond the side sill I5 and the prov jecting portion is supported by means of an angle 8 member I08 which is fastened to the vertical le of the side sill as by means of rivets I09. Beyond the supporting angle. I08 and between the door posts the threshold plate is flanged down-- wardly as shown at IIO. Angle clips III are secured to the ,flange IIO as by means of welding and are disposed in substantial abutment with the underside of the supporting angle to retain the .threshold plate in position. The vertical flange I I0 of the threshold plate terminates in an outwardly projecting flange H2 or lip which extends across and beyond flange 58 of the T-shaped reinforcing'member 51 and lies 'adjacent to the lower edge thereof. This relationship between the flange 5B and the outwardly pro- 7 jecting flange II2 of the threshold plateeifectively prevents direct and reflected light from entering the car and provides a baflle preventing foreign matter from being blown upwardly into the car between the door and the depending vertical flange IIO of the threshold plate. While the depending flange IIO lies within the door opening th effectiveness of the outwardly projecting flange H2 is maintained both forwardly and rearwardly of the door opening by the extensions II3 and H4.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of 'the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended. therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within thisinvention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. An outside sliding lift door for railway house cars comprising a metallic panel offset outwardly from the main plane thereof adjacent to and along both the front vertical and upper horizontal edges of .said door, said ofiset portions communicating with each'other, lift mechanism secured to the upper horizontal margin of said door inwardly of the main plane of said panel and below the top of saiddoor, said mechanism lying between the main plane of said panel and the adjacent wall of said car when said door is mounted on said car, a vertical actuating member within said vertical ofi'set, means within said horizontal offset connecting said lift mechanism and said actuating member, an operating-lever for said lift mechanism on the outside of said door, and means within said vertical offset connecting said lever and said actuating member.

2'. In a railway house car, in combination, an outside sliding lift door having a metallic panel, a track secured to said car adjacent to the upper portion of said door, lift mechanism embodying rollers secured to theupper portion of said door, a vertical actuating bar, means connecting said lift mechanism and said bar, an operating lever for said lift mechanism, means pivotally mounting said lever for swinging movement in a plane parallel to and on the outside of said door, a member connecting said latter means and said bar, said lever being operable to actuate said bar to lift and support said door upon said rollers for movement along said track, and means carried by said car adapted to be engaged by said lever to open and close said door.

3. In a railway house car, in combination, an outside sliding lift door, a track secured to said car adjacent to the upper portion of said door,

lever for said lift mechanism pivotally mounted 9 upon said door for movement in a plane parallel to the door, means operatively connecting said lever and said bar, said lever being operable in a plane parallel to said-door to actuate said bar to lift and support said door upon said rolling means for movement along said track, and means carried by said car adapted to be engaged bysaid lever to open and close said door, said lever moving in one direction in said plane to lift said door and to open said door and in the opposite direction in said plane to lower said door and to close said door. a

4. In a railway house car, in combination, a sliding lift door, a track secured-to said car, lift mechanism embodying rolling means secured to said door, an operating lever for said lift mechanism swingable in a plane parallel to the door, said lever being operable in a plane parallel to said door to actuate said lift mechanism to support said door upon said rolling means for movement along said track, and means carried by said car adapted to be engaged by said lever to open and close said door, said lever moving in one direction in said plane to lift said door and to open said door and in the opposite direction in said plane to lower said door and to close said door. v

5. In a railway house car having a door opening, a track secured to said car adjacent to the upper portion of said door opening, a sliding lift door, lift mechanism embodying rollers secured to the inner face of said door adjacentto the upper corners thereof, housing members for said rollers secured to said door, said housing members terminating below the upper edge of said door, and a baflle member secured to and extending upwardly from the housing member at the upper rear corner of said door substantially to the upper edge of said door, said baille member cooperating with said rear housing member to bafile the flow of foreign matter between said door and track into said door opening, said rollers being adapted to roll upon said track during opening and closing movements of said door.

6. In a railway house car having a door opening, a track secured to said car adjacent to the upper portion of said door opening, a sliding lift door, an inwardly extending reinforcing flange secured to-"the upper margin of said door, lift mechanism embodying rollers secured to the inner face of said door adjacent to the upper corners thereof, housing members for said rollers secured to said door, said housing members terminating below said door reinforcing flange, and a bailie member secured to the housing member Number at the upper rear comer of' said door, said baflle member extending upwardly to said door reinforcing flange and cooperating with said rear housing member to baflle the flow of foreign mat- .ter between said door and track into said door opening, said rollers being adapted to roll upon .said track during opening and closing movements .of said door.

7. In a railway house car having a door opening, a track secured to said car adjacent to the upper portion of said door opening, said track comprising a vertical attaching flange, an outwardly extending flange and an upwardly extending flange spaced from said attaching flange,

a sliding lift door, an inwardly extending'reinforcing flange secured to the upper margin of said door, lift mechanism embodying rollers secured to the inner face of said door adjacent to the upper corners thereof, housing members for said rollers secured to said door, said housing members terminating below said door reinforcing flange, a baiile member secured to the housin member at the upper rear corner of said door, said baflle member extending upwardly from said housing member to said door reinforcing flange and cooperating with said rear housing member to baille the flow of foreign matter between said door. and track into said door opening, and a sealing strip secured to said door-and extending substantially between said housing members, said sealing strip having a downwardly extending flange overlapping the inner face of said upwardly extending track flange, said rollers being adapted to roll upon said outwardly extending track flange during opening and closing move- The following references are of record in the file of I this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Name Date 2,226,419 Wasberg Dec. 24, 1940 2,299,968 Dietrichson- Oct. 27, 1942' 2,286,974 Oleksiw June 16, 1942 1,798,180 Tobin et al Mar. 31, 1931 2,124,040 Olander July 19, 1938 1,226,548 McIntosh May 15, 1917 1,357,771 Geiger Nov. 2, 1920 2,132,817 Zetmeir Oct. 11,1938 1,809,697 Heinen et a1. June 9, 1931 2,363,135 Madland Nov. 21, 1944 

